PRESS RELEASE : The UK is calling for an immediate suspension in fighting to get aid in and hostages out of Gaza: UK statement at the UN Security Council [February 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2024.
Explanation of vote by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza.
Thank you President, we want to see the fighting in Gaza end as soon as possible in a way that never again allows Hamas to carry out the appalling terrorist attacks against Israel we saw on the 7th of October last year.
Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating humanitarian crisis. We are particularly worried about the situation in Rafah, where a military operation could have appalling consequences for civilians sheltering there with nowhere else to go. Ongoing negotiations are critical to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza.
We are calling for an immediate suspension in fighting to get aid in and hostages out, leading to a permanent, sustainable ceasefire.
That means the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas’s capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer in charge of Gaza; and, a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.
President, we welcome the efforts of our Algerian colleagues on this resolution, and we regret that some of our proposals were not taken on board.
Simply calling for a ceasefire as this resolution does, will not make it happen. Indeed, as it could endanger the hostage negotiations, it could actually make a ceasefire less likely. The way to stop the fighting, and potentially stop it from restarting, is to begin with a pause to get hostages out and aid in, that is what we are calling for. It could end the fighting now.
We will continue to work to stop fighting. A humanitarian response at scale. The release of all hostages. And the delivery of the two sovereign states of Israel and Palestine that ensures peace, security and justice for both nations.
